Method of preventing failure of reading wireless tags, and wireless tag data management system

Abstract

A method includes a step of dividing tag IDs of plural wireless tags into groups; a step of sequentially storing tag data items in storage areas provided for the wireless tags, each tag data item including a tag ID and related-tag data constituted by the tag IDs of other wireless tags belonging to the same group as the wireless tag; a step of reading the stored tag data items; a step of generating a list of read tag IDs and a list of related tag IDs, from the tag IDs included in the tag data items read in the tag-data reading step and the related-tag data, and then determining whether the read tags coincide with the related tags; and a step of outputting reading-error data when tag IDs are determined to exist in the list of related tag IDs but not in the list of read tag IDs.

1. A method of preventing failure of reading wireless tags, for use in a wireless tag data management system comprising a wireless tag reader/writer for reading and writing tag data items from and in wireless tags by performing radio communication with the wireless tags, and a host computer connected to the wireless tag reader/writer, the method comprising:
 a grouping step of dividing tag IDs of the plurality of wireless tags into groups; 
 a tag-data storing step of sequentially storing tag data items in storage areas provided for the wireless tags, respectively, each tag data item including a tag ID and related-tag data constituted by the tag IDs of other wireless tags belonging to the same group as the wireless tag; 
 a tag-data reading step of reading the tag data items stored in the tag-data storing step, by using the wireless tag reader/writer; 
 a first determining step of generating a list of read tag IDs and a list of related tag IDs, from the tag IDs included in the tag data items read in the tag-data reading step and the related-tag data, and then determining whether the read tags coincide with the related tags; 
 a second determining step of comparing the list of read tag IDs with the list of related tag IDs, determining whether the read wireless tags exist in smaller numbers than the related wireless tags in case the list of read tag IDs is not identical to the list of related tag IDs, in the first determining step; and 
 a reading-error outputting step of outputting reading-error data of the shortage of the wireless tags to a display unit of a host computer when tag IDs are determined to exist in the list of related tag IDs but not in the list of read tag IDs and outputting wireless tag mixing data to a display unit of a host computer when tag IDs may exist in the list of read tag IDs, though not in the list of related tag IDs, in the second determining step. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of preventing failure of reading wireless tags, according to  claim 1 , wherein
 in the tag-data storing step, the related-tag data is stored, including the tag IDs of at least two other wireless tags, overlapping, partly or entirely, the related-tag data about any other wireless tag, and a set of the related-tag data items is stored, including the tag IDs of all wireless tags belonging to the same group. 
 
     
     
       3. The method of preventing failure of reading wireless tags, according to  claim 1 , wherein
 each of the tag-data items contains a group ID identifying the group. 
 
     
     
       4. The method of preventing failure of reading wireless tags, according to  claim 1 , wherein
 each of the tag-data items contains a total number of the wireless tags belonging to the same group. 
 
     
     
       5. A wireless tag data management system comprising:
 wireless tags, each of which has at least a user-data area in which a user is able to write data, a tag ID inherent to the wireless tag and related-tag data constituted by the tag IDs of other wireless tags defined as belonging to the same group are stored; 
 a wireless tag reader/writer configured to read and write tag data items from and in the wireless tags by performing radio communication with the wireless tags; 
 a determining unit connected to the wireless tag reader/writer and configured to analyze the tag data items read by the wireless tag reader/writer, thereby determining whether the wireless tag reader/writer has failed to read any wireless tag or the wireless tag reader/writer has read mixed wireless tags; and 
 a display unit configured to display a reading error when the determining unit determines that the wireless tag reader/writer has failed to read any wireless tag and to display a mixing error when the determining unit determines that the wireless tag reader/writer has read mixed wireless tag. 
 
     
     
       6. The wireless tag data management system according to  claim 5 , wherein
 all wireless tags are classified into a plurality of groups, and the related-tag data is set in accordance with the group classification. 
 
     
     
       7. The wireless tag data management system according to  claim 5 , wherein
 the related-tag data represents wireless tags that are located near a specific wireless tag and should be managed as belonging to the same group as the specific wireless tag. 
 
     
     
       8. The wireless tag data management system according to  claim 5 , wherein
 the related-tag data is stored, with a part overlapping the related-tag data pertaining to the other wireless tags. 
 
     
     
       9. The wireless tag data management system according to  claim 5 , wherein
 the tag IDs of the other wireless tags are stored as the related-tag data. 
 
     
     
       10. The wireless tag data management system according to  claim 5 , wherein
 a set of related-tag data items of all wireless tags belonging to the same group includes a tag ID identifying the group.